Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Nov 11:17:713-719.
doi: 10.2147/JHL.S531089. eCollection 2025.

Predictors of Perceived Organizational Innovation Among Allied Health and Pharmacy Professionals

Yuan Zhi Seah #  1 , Sophia Song Danial #  1 , Lita Sui Tjien Chew  2 , Jasper Weng Kong Tong  3
Affiliations

Predictors of Perceived Organizational Innovation Among Allied Health and Pharmacy Professionals

Yuan Zhi Seah et al. J Healthc Leadersh. .

Abstract

Purpose: Rising healthcare costs have intensified the need for innovation within healthcare systems, with organizational innovation being seen as a key enabler for the development of strategies to improve affordability and accessibility for long-term sustainable health care delivery. While research has long examined innovation among physicians and nurses, studies focusing on Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) and pharmacists are nascent. This study investigates the innovation culture among AHPs and pharmacists in Singapore's largest healthcare cluster. It specifically examines how components of the Innovation Quotient model-Values, Behaviors, Climate, Processes, Resources, and Success-predict perceived changes in innovation.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed via Email to 4413 AHPs and pharmacists, yielding 620 complete responses. The survey instrument, the InnoQuotient, comprised 54 items categorized into 18 factors that correspond to six building blocks of innovation. Structural equation modeling (SEM) in R Studio evaluated model fit and the relationships between these factors and self-reported change in innovation. Complementing the quantitative analysis, a thematic analysis was conducted using MAXQDA on 65 verbatim responses.

Results: SEM analysis indicated that three innovation building blocks of Behaviors, Processes, and Success were significantly associated with reported innovation change. Specifically, positive innovation change correlated with enhanced Behaviors and Success, whereas a negative relationship between innovation change and Processes suggested that overly centralized and top-down initiatives may impede grassroots innovation. The thematic analysis reinforced these findings by highlighting the pivotal role of leadership in driving effective innovation while also revealing concerns regarding the unilateral implementation of innovation initiatives and the challenges of fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.

Conclusion: The findings advocate for a balanced approach that synergizes leadership direction with organic, collaborative efforts to cultivate a robust innovation culture. Future studies should focus on refining strategies to bolster less effective innovation components and include perspectives across different organizational levels.

Keywords: InnoQuotient; allied health professionals; healthcare innovation; leadership; pharmacists.

Plain language summary

Healthcare costs are rising worldwide, putting pressure on hospitals and clinics to find new ways to deliver care affordably. Our study explored how innovation happens among Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) and pharmacists in Singapore’s largest healthcare cluster. We wanted to understand which factors help drive innovation and how leadership can support these changes. A survey was distributed to over 4400 healthcare workers and received responses from 620 participants. The survey asked questions about different aspects of innovation, such as teamwork, leadership behavior, and the systems used to develop new ideas. We then used a statistical method to see which factors were most important for changes in innovation. We also analyzed written comments from participants to get deeper insights. Our findings showed that the way leaders and teams work together strongly influences innovation. Positive actions and successful projects were linked with higher levels of innovation. However, we also found that a top-down approach, where decisions are made without enough input from the team, might actually reduce innovation. These results suggest that a balanced approach is best. Leaders should guide and support change while also encouraging input and collaboration from all team members. This balanced strategy can help healthcare organizations improve care delivery and manage rising costs better. This study helps us understand how to foster a culture of innovation in healthcare, especially among AHPs and pharmacists, which can benefit patients, staff, and the wider community.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

References

    1. Jakovljevic M, Getzen TE. Growth of global health spending share in low- and middle-income countries. Front Pharmacol. 2016;7:21. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00021 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Navaneetham K, Arunachalam D. Global population aging, 1950–2050. In: Handbook of Aging, Health and Public Policy: Perspectives From Asia. Springer Nature; 2022:1–18. doi: 10.1007/978-981-16-1914-4_154-1 - DOI
    1. Singstat. Key indicators of the Household Expenditure Survey, 2023. Department of Statistics Singapore; 2024. Available at: https://www.singstat.gov.sg/-/media/files/find_data/household/hes2023-ke.... Accessed October 31, 2025.
    1. Owaid O. The death of private practice: how the rising cost of healthcare is destroying physician autonomy. Brookl J Corp Financ Commer Law. 2016;11:521.
    1. Toader E. The effects of rising healthcare costs on the US economy. Am J Med Res. 2014;1(2):44–50.

LinkOut - more resources